Senate Bill 485: Establish state unclaimed body program
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 11, 2013, to require Department of Community Health to establish an unclaimed body program that would refer unclaimed bodies either to medical schools or to preferred provider funeral homes in different counties, who would be paid to supervise the final disposition according to standards and procedures specified or authorized in the bill.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160764

Senate Bill 486: Prohibit seven-day work weeks
Introduced by Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D) on September 11, 2013, to mandate that employers must give employees at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every calendar week, with some exceptions. The bill would also impose a related record-keeping mandate on employers.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160765

Senate Bill 487: Expand scrap metal sales regulatory regime
Introduced by Sen. Tupac Hunter (D) on September 12, 2013, to expand the scope of a 2008 law that imposed regulations and record keeping requirements on scrap metal dealers who buy and sell copper, brass, aluminum, bronze, lead, zinc, or nickel. The bill would extend these regulations to ferrous metal (scrap iron) transactions.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160766

Senate Bill 488: Expand scrap metal sales regulatory regime
Introduced by Sen. Tupac Hunter (D) on September 12, 2013, to extend criminal penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine for stealing nonferrous metal to also apply to thefts of scrap iron.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160767

Senate Bill 489: Revise personal property tax reform details
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on September 12, 2013, to revise details of a 2012 law that exempts up to $80,000 worth ($40,000 in taxable value) of tools and equipment owned or leased by a business in a particular jurisdiction from a personal property tax that imposes annual property taxes on business tools and equipment. The bill would empower local assessors to retroactively deny exemptions for the three past years; authorize criminal penalties for claiming the exemption on ineligible property; revise details of the definition of what property is eligible; revise procedures for claiming the exemption; impose new record-keeping requirements on businesses; and more.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160768

Senate Bill 490: Revise personal property tax reform details
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on September 12, 2013, to revise details of a 2012 law that gradually phases out a so-called personal property tax that imposes annual property taxes on tools and equipment owned by industrial firms. The bill would revise details of the definition of what property is taxable and what business operations are considered industrial.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160769

Senate Bill 491: Restrict licensing golf carts for on-road travel
Introduced by Sen. Jack Brandenburg (R) on September 12, 2013, to prohibit licensing a vehicle that is manufactured exclusively for off-road use for on-road travel, including golf carts, unless the manufacturer certifies in writing that it may be modified for use on roads.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160770

Senate Bill 492: Revise kindergarten minimum age detail
Introduced by Sen. Bruce Caswell (R) on September 12, 2013, to extend to schools of choice students (who attend a public school outside the district to which they are assigned) a 2012 law that requires children to be age 5 by Sept. 1 to attend kindergarten, rather than by Dec. 1 under current law. The date change is phased-in over three years.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160771

House Bill 4962
Introduced by Rep. Gail Haines (R) on September 10, 2013, to mandate that hospitals give mothers a copy of a pamphlet on the risk factors of sudden infant death syndrome and sudden unexpected infant death ( SIDS and SUID) and require parents to sign a statement acknowledging that they were given the pamphlet. This would also apply to a health professional in charge of a birth outside of a hospital or in charge of the care of a newborn. The Department of Community Health would be responsible for producing the pamphlets, and for producing a safe sleep video.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160750

House Bill 4963: Name ceremonial Capitol governors office after John Engler
Introduced by Rep. Pete Lund (R) on September 10, 2013, to name the ceremonial governors office in the state Capitol after former Gov. John Engler.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160751

House Bill 4964: Authorize automatic government employee 401(k) enrollments
Introduced by Rep. John Walsh (R) on September 10, 2013, to allow the state, schools and local governments to automatically enroll eligible employees in 401(k) type retirement accounts, with a percentage of the individuals pay deposited in the account. An employee could choose to opt-out of deductions and deposits.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160752

House Bill 4965: Impose tax on horse-drawn vehicles
Introduced by Rep. Joel Johnson (R) on September 12, 2013, to empower counties to impose a registration fee (tax) of up to $50 on horse-drawn vehicles. A vote of the people would be required.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160775

House Bill 4966: Expand prisons’ access to the state’s criminal information database
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on September 12, 2013, to give the Department of Corrections access to the state’s LEIN criminal information database for use in the performance of their duties rather than just for employee screening purposes.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160776

House Bill 4967: Expand prisons’ access to the state’s criminal information database
Introduced by Rep. Kevin Cotter (R) on September 12, 2013, to give the Department of Corrections access to the state’s LEIN criminal information database for use in the performance of their duties rather than just for employee screening purposes.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160777

House Bill 4968: Expand prisons’ access to the state’s criminal information database
Introduced by Rep. Kurt Heise (R) on September 12, 2013, to give the Department of Corrections access to the state’s LEIN criminal information database for use in the performance of their duties rather than just for employee screening purposes.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160778

House Bill 4969: Expand prisons’ access to the state’s criminal information database
Introduced by Rep. Margaret O’Brien (R) on September 12, 2013, to give the Department of Corrections access to the state’s LEIN criminal information database for use in the performance of their duties rather than just for employee screening purposes.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160779

House Bill 4970: Require license to install residential lifts
Introduced by Rep. Al Pscholka (R) on September 12, 2013, to require a licensed residential maintenance and repair contractor to get a separate license to install a residential lift. The contractor would have to be certified by the manufacturer, pay fees to be determined by the states occupational licensure bureau, and be deemed by that agency to be qualified. Residential lifts can include one-story stair-climbing machines for elderly or handicapped individuals. This is connected to House Bill 4971 which would exempt residential lift installers from the more comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160780

House Bill 4971: Require license to install residential lifts
Introduced by Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R) on September 12, 2013, to exempt residential lift installers from the comprehensive licensure and regulatory regime that applies to regular elevator contractors. Residential repair contractors would be subject to a less onerous regulatory regime imposed by House Bill 4970.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160781

House Bill 4972: Prohibit state board adoption of Next Generation Science Standards
Introduced by Rep. Tom McMillin (R) on September 12, 2013, to prohibit the state Board of Education from adopting a Next Generation Science Standards model curriculum created by a nonprofit entity called Achieve, Inc. or basing state tests on them.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160782

House Bill 4973: Cut income tax if Congress authorizes state internet sales tax
Introduced by Rep. Frank Foster (R) on September 12, 2013, to reduce the state income tax to 4.05 percent if Congress passes a law that allows states to collect sales tax from out-of-state merchants.http://www.michiganvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=160783

69 posted on 09/18/2013 5:28:57 PM PDT by cripplecreek
(REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)

Senate Bill 276: Require community service work by welfare recipients
Passed 27 to 9 in the Senate on September 18, 2013, to require welfare recipients to perform community service if they are not already required to participate in welfare-related work or training programs.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672440

Senate Bill 409: Revise first degree murder detail
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on September 18, 2013, to make the crime of unlawful imprisonment a predicate offense for first degree murder, meaning that a murder committed in the act of committing this crime would be punishable by life in prison with no chance for parole.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672436

House Bill 4525: Revise sentencing guidelines for arson
Passed 35 to 0 in the Senate on September 18, 2013, to revise the state sentencing guidelines in a way that authorizes more severe penalties for arson and some other recently enacted crimes.
See Who Voted “Yes” and Who Voted “No” at http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=672437

70 posted on 09/20/2013 8:29:33 AM PDT by cripplecreek
(REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)